Piano action



C. F. STEIN PIANO ACTION March 28, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 26, 1946 JNVENTOR. 1 7

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C. F. STEIN PIANO ACTION March 28, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 26, 1946 INVENTOR- C/zarlesfiederz'ck5faizg BY W M Patented Mar. 28, 1950 PIANO ACTION Charles Frederick Stein, Ivoryton, Conn., assignor to Pratt, Read and Company, Inc., Ivoryton, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application June 26, 1946, Serial No. 679,321

12 Claims.

This invention relates generally to piano -actions and more particularly to a simplified piano action having a minimum number of parts, which parts are adapted for production line manufacturing methods.

In the prior art the construction of piano actions has been such that manufacture and assembly thereof has been very expensive. This has been true because construction of many of the parts, and assembly and adjustment thereof must be performed by hand. Accordingly, the resulting piano action depends to a great extent on the skill of the mechanic who constructs, assembles and adjusts the same. In general, the moving parts of such piano actions have been constructed .1

of wood and include pivots which fit in bushings formed in wooden supporting members by lining openings in the members with felt. This construction has been necessary to provide a quiet action which furnishes the desired movement of the hammer and other operating parts. Not only is the construction of such bushings and pivots very expensive, but this arrangement is also undesirable because the parts are greatly affected by wear requiring replacement of the bushing and/or the other components of the action. In addition to the pivoted connections, in many instances springs are required to hold the members in a particular normal position so that the action operates in the proper manner.

The multiplicity of parts in the prior actions is evidenced not only in expensive bushings, but in parts to accomplish the various functions necessary in action operation such as the back-check function wherein the hammer is maintained in proper position on its return movement to make it available for rapid repetition, as well as to permit the fly and hammer butt to assume a normal position when the played key pivots to the rest position. The problem of multiplicity of parts has sometimes been more serious in so-called drop actions for low upright pianos inasmuch as the normal position of parts even with and below the keyboard, in itself complicates regulating and tuning.

Further difiiculty has been experienced in piano actions, particularly in the drop actions having long abstracts extending down below a keyboard, in providing an arrangement wherein the action can be removed from the piano as a unit assembly 2 with all the components of the action remaining substantially in their operative position. That is, when the connection between the action and the key is disengaged as the action is removed from the piano, components such as the abstract, whip, jack and hammer may thereby move out of their normal positions causing diiiiculty in restoring the action to operative position, or even damaging components of the action.

Also in most pianos, especially in the small low upright pianos, the individual units of the action are positioned very close together making it difficult to adjust the actions while in operating position. As such adjustment is essential to maintain a piano in proper operating condition, it is very desirable that provisions be made to permit easy adjustment of the action without removing the same from the piano.

t is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved piano action in which fewer components are required to perform the usual operating functions.

A further object of this invention is to provide simple and effective mounting means for the movable components of a piano action which support the components for movement, and at the same time hold the components in their proper operating position under a spring force.

Another object of this invention is to provide a piano action in which the components are of such construction that the may be manufactured by production line methods and in which the assembly may be easily and quickly performed to provide actions which are uniform and of high precision.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a piano action which is readily adaptable for use in various piano constructions wherein the scales (spacing of the strings) differ.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a piano action in which the components are constructed and arranged so thatadjustment of the action as required for maintaining the action in proper condition is facilitated.

A feature of this invention is the provision of spring mounting means for movable members of a piano action which support said members for movement as required and also hold the members in the desired operating positions.

A further feature of this invention is the provision in a piano action of an abstract operatively connected to a key of the piano and pivotally connected to a whip so that when the ke is depressed a portion of the abstract is moved rearwardly in an arc. This, in combination with. a back-check supported on the butt of the hammer causes engagement of said portion of the abstract with the back-check after the hammer has struck and dropped back, to thereby prevent further undesired movement of the hammer.

Another feature of this invention is the provision of a piano action having a damper normally engaging the piano strings, and a spoon for engaging and moving the damper having a relatively long deformable handle extending under the whip and available to permit easy adjustment thereof.

Still another feature of this invention is the provision of an abstract having an opening in the elongated body thereof Cooperating with a stationary hook on the rail structure to guide the movement of the abstract and prevent the same from dropping when the action is moved from a piano.

A still further feature of this invention is the provision of a projection on the whip cooperating with the mounting thereof to prevent the whip from dropping from its usual operative position when the whip is not supported by the abstract and thereby eliminate the necessity for the bridle strap of the prior art.

Further objects, features and advantages will be apparent from a consideration of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

.Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic View of certain of the components of my piano action illustratin the cooperation between the abstract, whip, jack and hammer;

Fig. 2 is a detailed view showing one form. of piano action in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 3 illustrates the guiding and retaining means for the abstract;

Fig. 4 illustrates the means for retaining the whip of the action in position;

Fig. 5 shows the details of the preferred form of the invention; and

Figs. 6 and '7 illustrate the means for spacing the units of the piano action illustrated. in Fig. 5.

In practicing my invention 1 provide an action capable of being moved in and out of a piano as a complete unit assembly and including supporting means therefor. The action includes an abstract operatively connected with a key of the piano. The abstract is pivoted to the whip, the pivotal connection being above the mounting for the whip so that as the abstract is moved upward by the key, the'lower portion thereof moves rearwardly. The whip, hammer and damper are each secured to the rail means by spring mountings which provide pivotal movement of the members and hold the members in the proper position thus taking the place of the usual pivot and bushing used in combination with an auxili'ary spring. A jack is mounted on the whip by a similar spring mounting. A back-check is supported from the butt of the hammer by a re A lug is provided on the whip which cooperates with the mounting therefor to prevent extreme movement of the whip from the normal operating position in any instance when the abstract is not supported in position. A spoon is secured to the Whip for engaging the damper to move the same from contact with the strings, the spoon being secured at the bottom of the whip and extending around one end thereof to provide a long deformable handle which facilitates adjustment thereof.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates certain components of the piano action which is adapted for connection with a piano key in to cause vibration of a piano string ll. Supporting means are provided for the units of the action so that the action can be moved into and out of a piano as a single unit. The supporting means includes rails on which the components of the action are mounted and mounting brackets for the rails (not shown). The key I0 is supported on a keybed i2 and includes an adjustable capstan screw 13 at the rear end thereof. The piano action includes an abstract 14 which is pivotally connected to a whip Hi, the whip in turn being suported on a rail it. A jack H is carried by the whip i5 and cooperates with the hammer l8 for operating the same in response to movement of the key. The abstract It may be constructed of metal having a rib l9 stamped thereon to increase the strength thereof. An overhanging lip portion 23 is provided on the top of the abstract having a felt 2i secured thereto which engages the capstan screw 23 to provide a noiseless operative connection between the key and the abstract. The abstract is pivotally connected at 22 to the whip l 5 which in turn is mounted by a spring 23 to the rail it, the spring being constructed so that the whip will pivot around a point 24 as indicated. The circle at the point 24 is purely illustrative in the somewhat diagrammatic showing of Fig. 1 which is designed not only to show the parts of the action but also the arcs of movement of some of the parts.

It is noted that the connection 22 between the abstract and the Whip is above the pivotal point 24 for the mounting 23 for the whip so that, as the abstract is moved upward by movement of the key l0, the pivot 22 will move along the are shown in the dot-dash line causing the lower portion of the abstract to be moved rearwardly. The jack l! is secured to the Whip [5 by a spring 25 similar to the spring 23 and adapted to pivot around the illustrated point 26, the top portion 2'! of the jack engaging a felt 28 which is secured to the butt portion 29 of the hammer. The hammer is mounted on the rail means I6 by a spring mounting 31 which is generally similar to the spring mountings for the whip and jack. When the whip is moved by the abstract, the jack bears against the butt portion of the hammer causing the hammer to strike the string i l in a well known manner. Means are provided for disengaging the jack from the hammer butt when the whip moves a predetermined amount as will be later described.

Secured to the butt 29 of the hammer is a backcheck 30 comprising an adjustable resilient arm 3| and a head portion '32. As illustrated in solid lines, when the action is in the rest position the head 32 of the back-check is very close to, but not in contact with, a felt 33 on the abstract. When the key is operated the hammer is moved by movement of the abstract whip and jack as previously explained so that the head 34 of the hammer strikes the string H as indicated by the dotted position 35, and then falls back to the position indicated in dotted lines as 36. The dotdash lines at the ends of the felt 33 on abstract indicate generally the upward and rearward or horizontal movement previously described which causes the head portion 32 (dotted line) of the back-check to engage the felt 33 when the hammer falls back. A binding action results due to the resiliency of the member 3| and the resiliency of the felt which holds the hammer in the position indicated at 36 and prevents the normal tendency of the hammer to bounce. When the key I is released the abstract moves to the normal position shown in solid lines and the hammer also falls back to the position shown in solid lines. It is to be pointed out here that the felt can be provided on the abstract M as illustrated or on the head 32 of the back-check, the only requirement being that a noiseless contact is provided between these two elements.

Reference is now made to Figs. 2, 3 and 4 which illustrate the details of one form in which the piano action in accordance with my invention may be embodied. The same reference characters will be used as in Fig. 1 for components illustrated in these figures which correspond to components in Fig. 1. It is apparent that the key l0, abstract l4, whip l5, jack l! and hammer l8 cooperate in the manner described in connection with Fig. 1. In addition there is illustrated a damper 40 secured to the rail l6 by a spring mounting 4| and having a head portion 42 for engagement with the string A spoon 38 secured to the Whip l engages a felt 43 on the damper for moving the head 42 of the damper away from the string when the whip is moved by the abstract. Secured to the rail H5 is a support 44 in which is adjustably positioned a let-oif or stop 45 which cooperates with the butt portion 43 of the jack H in a well known manner.

A hammer rail 41 is provided havin a felt 48 against which the hammer rests. A hook 43 is secured to the hammer rail and cooperates with an opening in the abstract to guide the movement of the abstract and to prevent the abstract from falling back when the lip portion thereof is disengaged from a piano key. It is pointed out that the various components of the piano action are secured to the rail l6 forming a unit assembly. By removing the rail I6 and hammer rest 41 which may be secured thereto by any suitable means, the piano action may be removed as a unit from the piano. When the action is removed irom the piano it is desired that the components remain in their normal operating positions. To accomplish this result the hook 49 and a projection 39 on the whip are provided. Fig. 3 illustrates the manner in which the abstract I4 is supported by the hook 49. A felt should be provided about the hook 49 or alternatively about the opening 50 in the abstract to eliminate noise which would be produced by contact of the abstract with the hook. The projection 39 on whip |5 is adapted to engage the sprin 23 when the whip I5 is dropped below the normal position. This is illustrated in Fig. 4 in which figure the abstract I4 is shown disengaged from the piano keys and also from the hook 49 with the projection 39 bearing against the spring 23 to prevent further movement of the whip in a downward direction.

Referring now more particularly to the spring mountings for the movable members of the piano action, it is noted that springs 23, 26, 3! and 4| support the whip, jack, hammer and damper, respectively, and are provided instead of the usual pin and bushing joints which are generally used in piano actions. It is to be noted that in particular piano action constructions it may be not desirable to use spring mountings for all of the movable members but only for certain of these members. The springs are stamped from flat spring material such as steel or bronze and in addition to supporting the members for pivotal movement are arranged to hold the elements in the desired position eliminating the auxiliary springs which have formerly been used. That is, the coil spring normally positioned between the butt of the jack and the whip can be eliminated, as well as the springs normally holding the hammer against the hammer rail and the damper in engagement with the strings. This eliminates these additional components and provides a much simpler mounting than the prior constructions in which bushings were provided in wooden members by lining holes drilled therein with felt to provide a noiseless connection and one having as little friction as possible. In Figs. 2, 3 and 4 the springs are illustrated as having projecting end portions, indicated at 5| to 51 inclusive, which may be secured to the various members to both align the members and form a mounting therefor. In accordance with the invention, the various elements of the piano actions such as the whip, jack, hammer and damper may be molded of plastic material and the springs embedded therein during the molding operations. Alternatively, recesses for the springs can be molded in the members or can be cut from either plastic or wooden members to permit easy assembly of the spring and components to hold the various components in position. The mounting springs 23, 31 and 4| are secured to the rail means it by screws Bil, 6| and 62 respectively. It is noted, however, that recesses or grooves are provided in the rail IS with which projections 56 and 5"! and the end of spring 23 register so that when the springs are secured thereto by the screws, the springs will automatically be properly positioned with the respect to the rail. This eliminates the careful assembly operations previously required wherein very accurate adjustment of the various mounting elements was required to provide proper positioning of the components with respect to each other.

In Fig. 5, mounting springs which function in the same manner as the springs previously described but of a modified construction are illustrated. Instead of being secured to the rail It by screws, the springs are provided with projecting portions 63, 64 and 65 in the shape of goosenecks at one end thereofwhich are adapted to snap into recesses or grooves 66, 61, and 68 in the rail 5. This is a particularly simple and effective arrangement as no screws are required and a secure mounting is provided. Also as a plurality of units are mounted side by side on the rail IE, it permits the use of grooves 66, 61 and 68 which extend the entire length of the rail l6 thus permitting the various units to be spaced in any desired manner. A spacing plate 69 is secured to the rail It by screw 10 for spacing the units along the rail. Figs. 6 and 7 show details of the spacing plate 89 with the spring mountings 3'! and 4| spaced thereby. The spacing plate has recesses H and 12 on opposite sides thereof for properly spacing the spring mountings 31 and 4| for the hammer and damper with respect to each other. The spacing of the recesses H and 12 along the of the whip to the felt 43 on the damper. provides a long arm on the spoon which is made of deformable material and is accessible undera n-or length of the plate insure that the various unitsof the piano action are properly spaced with respect to each other. This arrangement permits the use of identical piano actions including the rail H in pianos having different scales, that is, in pianos in which the spacing of the strings differ. It is only necessary to provide spacing plates 69 in which the recesses are spaced along the length thereof to conform to the spacing of the strings for the various scales to be used. The spacing plate also facilitates the assembly and adjustment of the piano action.

As is well known that for proper operation of the various parts of a piano action, it is necessary that careful adjustment of the parts be made. To facilitate adjustment of the operative connec tion between the whip i5 and the damper 40, a spoon 38 is provided which is secured to the whip at the bottom portion thereof at a substantial distance from the end, and extends around the end This :neath the whip for easy adjustment when required. The back-check 30 is also provided with a relatively long deformable supporting member 3| which may be easily adjusted so that the backcheck and the abstract engage at the proper instant and with the desired amount of friction therebetween.

It is apparent from the above disclosure that there is provided a piano action which is of simple construction and in which a numberof components usually found have been eliminated.

That is, a separate member which the baok cheek normally engages is eliminated by use of the abstract to provide this function. By replacing the bushings and springs normally used to mount the movable members by spring mountings, as illustrated, a further reduction in the number of components is achieved. Also the spring mountings in accordance with the invention are much more easily constructed and are adapted for production manufacturing methods thereby eliminating much of the hand work previously required which resulted in the high cost of piano actions. Further, the spring mountings will not be damagedby wear to the same extent as felt lined bushings, resulting in less maintenance in keeping the piano in proper operating condition. The means for preventing the abstract and Whip from dropping out of position which are included are of great value when adjusting the action and when removing the action as a unit from the piano.

Although I have described what I consider to be the preferred'embodiments of my invention, it is obvious that various changes and modifica tions can be made therein without departing from the intended scope thereof. Accordingly I desire that the invention be limited only as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A piano action adapted for operative connection with the keys and springs in a piano, comprising a hammer, an abstract having one end operatively connected to a piano key, a whip pivotally connected to said abstract at the end thereof opposite to said one end, intermediate means connected to said whip for operating said hammer, and a back-check mounted on said hammer and extending toward said abstract, said abstract and said whip being so constructed and arranged that movement thereof by said piano key causes a portion of said abstract to move horizontally into a position to be engaged by said" back-check when said hammer returns after striking a string.

2. A piano action adapted for operative conneotion with the keys and Strings in a piano, comprising a hammer, an abstract having one end operatively connected to a piano key, a whip pivotally connected to said abstract at the end thereof opposite to said one side, intermediate means connected to said whip for operating said hammer, and a back-check including aresilient portion mounted on said hammer and extending toward said abstract and a head portion at the end of said resilient portion, said abstract and said whip being so constructed and arrangedthat movement thereof by said piano key causes a portion of said abstract to move horizontally into a position to be engaged by said head portion of said back-check when said hammer re-' turns after striking a string.

3. In a piano action capable of being moved in and out of a piano as a complete unit assembly, having supporting means therewith and being adapted for operative connection with the keys in a piano, the combination including a hammer having a butt portion, an abstract having a lip portion at one end overhanging the rear end of a key for operative connection therewith, a whip pivotally connected to said abstract at the end opposite said lip portion, a jack mounted on said whip for operating said hammer, and a back-check mounted on said hammer butt and extending toward said abstract, said abstract and said Whip being so constructed and arranged that movement of said abstract by the piano key causes a portion of said abstract adjacent said whip to move horizontally toward said back-check so that when said hammer returns after striking a string said back-check engages said portion to prevent undesired movement of said hammer.

4. In a piano action capable of being moved in and out of a piano as a complete unit assembly, having supporting means therewith and being adapted for operative connection with the keys in a piano, the combination including rail means, a hammer having a butt portion mounted on said rail means, an abstract having a lip portion overhanging the rear end of key for operative connection therewith, a whip mounted at one end on said rail means and pivotally connected at the other end to said abstract, :1. jack mounted on said Whip for operating said hammer, and a back-check mounted on said hammer butt and extending toward said abstract, said pivotal connection between said abstract and said whip being above the mounting for said whip so that upward movement of said abstract by the piano key causes the portion of said abstract adjacent said whip to move in a direction toward said backcheck and to be engaged thereby when said hammer returns after striking a string.

5. In a piano action capable of being moved in and out of a piano as a complete unit assembly, having supporting means therewith and being adapted for operative connection with the keys in a piano, the combination. including rail means mounted on the supporting means in the unit assembly, a hammer having a butt portion mounted on said rail means, an abstract having a lip portion overhanging the rear end of key for operative connection therewith, a whip mounted at one end on said rail means and pivotally connected at the other end to said abstract, a jack mounted on'said whip for operating said hammer, and a back-check including a resilient adjustable portion mounted on said hammer butt and extending toward said abstract and a head portion, said pivotal connection between said abstract and said whip being above the after striking a string.

6. In a piano action capable of being moved in and out of a piano as a complete assembly,

having supporting means therewith and being adapted for operative connection with piano keys and strings in a piano, the combination including a rail mounted on said supporting means in the assembly and a plurality of action units mounted on said rail means each including a hammer, a damper, means for transmitting movement from said key to said hammer and said damper including a whip, means for mounting said hammer, damper and whip on said rail means, each of said mounting means comprising a fiat spring having a projection at one end adapted to be secured to the member which it supports and a gooseneck portion at the other end, said rail having rooves extending along the length thereof of such shape to receive said gooseneck portions to thereby support said hammer, damper and whip of each unit in operative position, and a spacing member on said rail means having recesses therein to receive the spring mountings for each unit, said recesses being arranged to properly space the units with respect to the piano strings.

'7. In a piano action capable of being moved in and out of a piano as a complete unit assembly, having supporting means therewith and being adapted for operative connection with the keys in a piano, the combination including a hammer, means operatively connected to a key for transmitting movement of said key to said hammer including a whip, a damper normally held against piano strings, and a spoon made of deformable material mounted on said whip having the end thereof adapted to engage said damper to hold said damper away from a string when said key is depressed, said spoon being secured to said whip intermediate the ends thereof and extending a substantial distance along said whip to said damper whereby adjustment of said spoon is facilitated.

8. In a piano action capable of being moved in and out of a piano as a complete unit assembly, having supporting means therewith and being adapted for operative connection with the keys in a piano, the combination including an abstract having a lip portion overhanging the rear end of a key for operative connection therewith, rail means mounted on the supporting means of the unit assembly, a whip mounted at one end to said rail means and pivotally connected to said abstract at the other end thereof, a damper mounted on said rail means and normally held against piano strings, a spoon made of deformable material mounted on said whip having the end thereof engaging said damper for holding said damper away from a string when a key is depressed, said spoon being secured to said whip at the bottom thereof and extending around one end of said whip to said damper whereby adjustment of said spoon is facilitated.

9. In a piano action having hammers and in- Til termedlate operating mechanisms all being movable in and out of a piano as a complete unit assembly and being adapted for mounting in a piano for operative connection with the keys thereof, the combination including abstract means for operating a corresponding intermediate mechanism and which when mounted in a piano is positioned rearwardly of a key and is of a length to extend below said key, said abstract having a pivotal mounting at the bottom part and at the top part having a lip overhanging the key, rail means mounted in the action and positioned laterally of the abstract means, said abstract means having an opening therein and said rail means having an L-shaped hook secured therein and including a part normally extending into said opening, said hook andsaid opening cooperating to maintain the abstract means upright and prevent it from falling away from the remainder of the action in a pivotal movement upon removal of the action away from the piano keys as a complete unit assembly.

10. A piano action including first and second relatively movable members, and spring means for interconnecting said members, said spring means being formed of elongated flat spring material and having projections at each end thereof and a esilient portion intermediate the ends thereof, said first member being molded of plastic material and having one end of said spring means embedded therein, with the projection on said one end serving to anchor said spring means in said first member, and means including said projection on the other end of said spring means for securing said spring means to said second member, said intermediate resilient portion forming a pivot for relative movement between said members.

11. A piano action including a movable member, rail means for supporting said movable member, and spring means for mounting said movable member on said rail means, said spring means being formed of elongated fiat spring material having projections at each end thereof and a resilient portion intermediate said ends, said movable member being molded of plastic material and having one end of said spring embedded therein with said projection on said one end serving to anchor said spring means in said movable member, and means including said projection on the other end of said spring means and a complementary recess in said rail means for removably securing said other end of said spring means to said rail means, said resilient intermediate portion of said spring means forming a pivot for movement of said movable member with respect to said rail means.

12. A piano action including a movable member, rail means for supporting said movable member and spring means for mounting said movable member on said rail means, said spring means being formed of elongated flat spring material having projections at each end thereof and a resilient portion intermediate said ends, said movable member being molded of plastic material and having one end of said spring embedded therein with said projection on said one end serving to anchor said spring means in said movable member, said projection on the other end of said spring means being in the form of a gooseneck portion, said rail means having a recess therein of such configuration to receive said gooseneck portion for removably securing said movable member to said rail means, said resilient intermediate portion lof asaid gpring means forming, aqpivot f r movement of said movable mem- ,ber'with, respect to said rail means.

CHARLES, FREDERICK STEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are :of record in the kfile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 1.2 Name Date Billings Feb.1u12,i19.0.'7 Staib "Dec. 131., 1912 Cross Mar, 21, 1916 .Rydberg "Nov. 22, 19,2 7 Klein ,Feb. 18,1936 Pape -June 1, 1937 Betz May 2, 1939 Schulze Dec. ,31, 1940 Betz M Oct. 28,1941 Gould 001;. 28, 19 41 Potwin =Oct. 28, .19 1 Martin Dec. 16,194 

